Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-01

you lame your own mule, but you must try
your hand on minea Or am to put jimmy
down among the expenses2" he added with
a grin and a slight lifting Of his baleful eye
lid.
When they had ridden a mile along the
ridge they began to descend again toward the
valley. Vegetation now sparingly bordered
the trail, clumps Of chemisal, an occasional
manzanita bush and one or two dwarfed
buckeyes" rooted their way between the
interstices of the black-gray rock. Now and
then, in crossing some dry gully, worn by the
overflow of winter torrents from above, the
grayish rock gloom was relieved by dull red
and brown masses Of color, and almost every
overhanging rock bore tho mark Of miners
pick. Presently, as they rounded tho curv-
ing flank of the mountain, from a rocky
bench below them, thin ghost-like stream
Of smoke seemed to be steadily drawn by in
visible hands into the invisible ether. ut Is
tho camp" said Concho, gleefully; II will
myself forward to prepare them for the stran-
ger," and before his companion could detain
him he had disappeared at sharp canter
around the curve o. the trail.
Left to himself, the stranger took more
leisurely pace, which left him ample time for
reflection. Scamp as he was, there was some
thing in the simple credulity of poor Concho
that made him uneasy Not that his moral
consciousness was touched, but he feared that
Conchos companions might, knowing Con-
chos simplicity, instantly suspect him Of trad
ing upon it. He rode ON in deep study.
Iycc r. A
by birth and education; a swindler by profess
sion, an outcast by reputation, without abso-
lutely turning his back upon respectability,
he had trembled on the perilous edge of crini-
inality ever since his boyhood. He did not
scruple to cheat these Mexicans-they were
degraded race-and for moment he felt al
most an accredited agent of progress and civ
ilization. We never really understand the
meaning of enlightenment until we begin to
use it aggressively.
A few PAGES further on four figures ap-
peared in the now gathering darkness of the
trail. The stranger quickly recognized the
beaming smile of Concho, foremost of the
party. A quick glance at the faces Of the
others satisfied him that while they lacked
Concho's good humor, they certainly did not
surpass him in intellect. Pedro was a stout
vaquero Manuel was slim half-breed and
ex-convert Of the Mission of San Carmel, and
Miguel a recent butcher Of Monterey.
Under the benign influences of Concho that
suspicion with which the ignorant regard
strangers died away, and the whole party es-
corted the stranger-who had given bis name
as Mr. Joseph Wiles-to their camp fire. So
anxious were they to begin their experiments
that even the instincts of hospitality were
forgotten, and it was not until Mr.. Wiles-
now known as "Don Jose"-sharply reminded
them that he wanted some "grub," that they
came to their senses. When the frugal meal
of tortillas, frijoles, salt pork, and chocolate
was over, an oven was built Of the dark red
rock brought from the ledge before them, and
an earthenware jar glazed by some peculiar
local process, tightly fitted over it, and packed
with clay and sods. A fire was speedily built
of pine boughs continually brought from
wooded ravine below, and in few
moments the furnace was in full blast.
Mr.. Wiles did not participate in these
active preparations, except to give oc-
casional directions between his teeth, which
were contemplatively fixed over clay pipe
as he lay comfortably on his back on the
ground. Whatever enjoyment the rascal
may have had in their useless labors he did
not show it, but it was observed that his left
eye often followed the broad figure OF the ex-
vaquero, Pedro, and often dwelt on t5ofu
thyb beetling brows and rho1